


just hold on

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Angst, Community: comment_fic, F/M, Het, Rare Pair, Romance, no season three spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-08 20:12:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8859415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: "So," Joe says after the door slams, "that went well."





	

**Author's Note:**

> Theme : free for all  
> Prompt :   
> any, any, if it all goes wrong, darling just hold on. 
> 
> http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/775203.html?thread=101095203#t101095203

The slam of the front door of the West house rings in her ears as Caitlin sits, rooted to the spot, staring at it. Now that Iris and Barry and Wally have all left, taking their judgement and their anger and their discomfort with them, there is only silence in the room, a silence that's broken when, beside her, Joe lets out a long, deep sigh, running his hand down his face. 

"So," he says after a moment, and she turns her head to meet his gaze. "That went well." 

The obvious sarcasm surprises a laugh out of her but it doesn't last for long. Not when she knows what's coming. 

It's ok, she tells herself firmly. She expected this, is prepared for it. No matter what they hoped, his kids aren't ok with the two of them together and if there's one thing she knows about Joe, it's that his kids are his life. She knows she can't compete with them in his affections, doesn't expect to. And that's ok, she tells herself firmly. They were friends before, they can be again. She's had relationships end before, and worse than this. 

She'll be fine. 

She thinks if she tells herself that enough, she might even believe it. 

She takes a deep breath, steels herself, glanced down at the inhibitors on her wrists and finds herself grateful that they're still working. "I should go," she says quietly and Joe's reaction - a frown - is instant. 

"Go?"

He sounds confused and she nods. "After what Iris said-" she begins and he stops her there, cuts her off with a shake of his head and a narrowing of his eyes. 

"Iris will come around," he says. "They all will." His hand reaches out, closes around her fingers, warm and strong and sure and Caitlin suddenly wants to cry. "Don't go doing something noble and stupid on me now, ok?"

The sense of relief that rushes through her is heady and powerful, making it hard to breathe. "I thought-" she says and then stops. He knows what she thought. 

"It's not gonna be easy," he tells her. "I know that. But don't give up on us now, ok?"

His eyes are as warm as his touch, as warm as his smile, as warm as his lips on hers and if Caitlin doesn't answer him in words, she thinks the way that she holds onto him is its own kind of answer.


End file.
